[altimate]

I am a software engineer, never drove a car, staying in pune in a Rented Flat. Was impressed with pricing of Tiago EV. I need only city driving car and not going to do long trips.

I am not sure how i will be able to charge at home because not all societies would be having charging infrastructure in the parking area and there are no 15 amp plug sockets and staying at lower floors is not always possible (for extended wire charging)

I read that you can't be fast charging at stations all the time and you need to slow charge at home most of the times to preserve battery life. Not sure how true this is.

Now what are my options for charging? Any ideas? or should i drop the idea of buying an EV altogether and buy a normal Tiago AMT/Punch AMT?

[GTO]

In my personal opinion, if you don't have an EV charger in your residential parking spot, an EV isn't for you. Period. A 15A power socket is the bare minimum & frankly enough for 99% of EV owners to charge overnight.

Second choice, EV chargers at work where your car is lying idle all day while you are at office. But then, if you change your employer, you're in trouble.

As the primary charging option, the public charging infrastructure is simply not there and it'll be a big hassle. Check out this recent post by a Hyundai Ioniq 5 owner.

Originally Posted by sahilj

I am in Mumbai and have 3 DC fast chargers in a 2-4 kms radius from my place. 1 Jio BP has been offline for the past 2 weeks. One Tata charger doesn't work when you need it. Finally found another one in a bus depot thats newly installed.

I went to Pune 2 weeks ago and same story. Had to spe!nd 2 hours driving around looking for a fast charger since I had to drive back to Bombay the next day.

However, I am currently in negotiations with the society about getting my home charger installed. They are evaluating the possibility of getting a shared public charger for the society

Also, don't forget that fast charging at public outlets can cost almost as much as your petrol / diesel fuel costs. The players are in it for a profit & the fast charging prices will only rise. In many cities of the USA, fast charging costs are higher than petrol per mile / km.

Tesla - the granddaddy of EVs & the one with the best charging network - also speaks on similar lines. From their FAQ:

Do I need to install charging at home if there are Superchargers near me?

Charging where you park is one of the best ways to live with a Tesla and there is no need to travel to get a full charge. We recommend installing a Wall Connector at home or work whenever possible. Superchargers are ideal while on a road trip, or while visiting from out of town, or while home charging is being established.

[dsuman]

Originally Posted by altimate

I am a software engineer, never drove a car, staying in pune in a Rented Flat. Was impressed with pricing of Tiago EV. I need only city driving car and not going to do long trips.

My brother is in a similar situation.He bought a Tiago EV. Stays in a rented apartment on 3rd Floor. He reached out to the house owner who allowed him to get the wiring done from 3rd floor to Parking. He has a dedicated parking. Main Switch is in his home so no chance of misuse. Costed Rs 2000 for wiring, Pipes and Electrician. Tata installed the Fast Charger.

Talk to your house owner and see if he allows getting wiring done from your house to parking. Go ahead, you will save a lot with EV. My brother travels 100kms daily which makes around 3000 km per month and his commute charges are around Rs 800 per month which are only electricity charges.

[ritesh_44]

Originally Posted by altimate

I am a software engineer, never drove a car, staying in pune in a Rented Flat. Was impressed with pricing of Tiago EV. I need only city driving car and not going to do long trips.

I am not sure how i will be able to charge at home because not all societies would be having charging infrastructure in the parking area and there are no 15 amp plug sockets and staying at lower floors is not always possible (for extended wire charging)

I read that you can't be fast charging at stations all the time and you need to slow charge at home most of the times to preserve battery life. Not sure how true this is.

Now what are my options for charging? Any ideas? or should i drop the idea of buying an EV altogether and buy a normal Tiago AMT/Punch AMT?

Ask your owner /RWA whether it's possible to extend a wire from your electricity meter to your parking. Some RWA don't allow it yet but many are forthcoming now. Although would be a pain if a flat you like to rent later, RWA doesn't allow wiring in parking (I'm facing this currently in Bengaluru).
Slowly more and more societies are either allowing wiring in parking or having a dedicated third-party slow charger (Bolt, Ather neighborhood chargers, etc.) where you can slow charge.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by GTO

In my personal opinion, if you don't have an EV charger in your residential parking spot, an EV isn't for you. Period. A 15A power socket is the bare minimum & frankly enough for 99% of EV owners to charge overnight.

I have two apartments to consider, and one of them is not even ready to install a common charger, let alone per slot. The other one has a single common charger with 7.2KW capacity, which will take forever to charge.

So EV is not practical for us, and my wife has finally decided not to insist on EV as her next car.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by Samurai

The other one has a single common charger with 7.2KW capacity, which will take forever to charge.

7.2kw should be plenty for overnight charging even for an empty battery? What am I missing? EV do not need to be charged from empty to full, just top up the distance that you drive everyday.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

7.2kw should be plenty for overnight charging? What am I missing? EV do not need to be charged from empty to full, just top up the distance that you drive everyday.

One charger for 100 flats? How many can do overnight charging with one charger?

[DevD]

Here is the thread on EV charging challenges and possible solutions for Apartments. There are solutions available from multiple vendors.

Our Society in Bangalore have Selected ElectricPe solution that is scalable based on demand. We currently have 10 charging outlets for 25 EV vehicles. Our society statistics show most EV vehicles require charging 2-3 times a week.

Team BHP - Electrifying India's Apartment Buildings (Electrifying India's apartment buildings | How will you charge your EV in your parking spot?)

[shresan23]

There is one more thing to consider. That is, the type of parking you have. As in, if you are in a relatively newer apartment complex, parking would be spaced out, and more private for you. If you are in a relatively older complex, the ones that are >10 years old, you will be having sort of a tight parking spot. A spot is a spot though.

I am highlighting this point because, you might not always have a wall, to install the socket in. Even if you do, in older complexes, there might not be a parking spot that is detached from the walking space, so you may expect people tripping over wires, and the whole hullaballoo.

Then, is the society mindset. If there are many ICE cars, closely packed together, you might get an argument from other tenants/owners (like my dad) that charging an EV near such ICE vehicles filled with Petrol is quite risky business. I dont disagree with the argument, but i also infer that EVs nowadays are better protected, insulated and boom-proof than before.

I am just pointing out that you may get neighbours like this. They wont be wrong altogether, for wanting to protect the building.

[raptor_diwan]

Staying in rented house and investing in an EV can be somewhat risky. You never know when unexpected issues might arise, especially if more people in your area start purchasing EVs. It's possible that one day your landlord might request people to stop charging their vehicles, as there may not be enough available slots or time for everyone to charge fully. Additionally, if you suddenly have to relocate to a different rental property, finding a new place that meets your requirements, including having a charging point or allow you to do so, can be challenging, as not every landlord readily allows it. It might be wiser to consider alternative options.

[bblost]

In the large gated community where I reside there are over 2000 flats.

Anyone who wants to get an EV, has to install an electric meter at their parking and pay as per the consumption charges. The cost of such an installation comes to about 8 to 10 thousand. This meter and connection will be dedicated to only them and they can secure the plug.

As a large gated community this is possible because we have a connection under, " HT-VI: Townships and Residential Colonies." (source)

You can try to get a flat in such a gated community.
The landlord may or maynot bear this cost.

The most predominant reason to buy an EV is to save on running costs.
If you are using public charging points, that reason itself stands negated.

[MrMcqueen]

I also have an EV (2-wheeler) and stay in a rented apartment.

With an approval from owner I had installed a 15 Amps socket (even though I only required a 5/6 Amps one). Wiring was done from my flat’s electric meter in the cellar to my parking spot (distance: 25 feet).

I had even shifted apartment with this setup. It took 30 min to dismantle and 2 hrs to re-do the same in new place. Cost of both services combined is around Rs.1500 by Urban company electrician and one time cost of Rs.1250 for wire and socket.

Yes, it is a hassle but can be done. But if you require additional load I don't think this is the way to go as it involves some high charges to be paid to the DISCOM.

[GTO]

Very frankly, if you have to "worry" about how you will charge your EV, then an EV is not for you. We anyway have enough things to worry about in life, and car ownership is supposed to bring JOY.

There is a lot more to a car than just charging it = the driving experience, acceleration, handling, comfort, pride in ownership, modifications. You don't want to end up as that EV owner who only talks about "where do I charge" and "here's my battery range".

Range anxiety is one thing. But if you have "charger anxiety", then better to stick with ICE cars for now. Home charging is absolutely mandatory to own an EV in India. Period. Don't buy an EV until you can charge it @ home (even on a simple 15A socket overnight) or till the public charging becomes 100% available, convenient, ubiquitous & idiot-proof.

[coldice4u]

Absolutely agreed on what GTO said. If you do not have your a dedicated point to charge your EV, its too much of a headache and you will be mostly worried if there are available slots, space, charger functioning etc. I think needing to move cars around if on a shared charger is also a hassle as this will happen on a very regular basis.

Consider an EV only if you have your own point to charge. Period. And as noted in another thread you dont need a high KW charger. Even for all kinds of daily running, a 3.3kw will charge any electric car for a minimum of 100kms when charged overnight for around 9-10 hours.

My Tiago EV charges 9 hours and gets me easy 180kms range with AC with not so conservative driving in purely city NCR conditions.

[shyampsunder]

I live in a rented house and EV charging was a top priority while looking for a house. Reputed builders like Prestige have wiring conduits throughout their parking.

If you are expecting 15A sockets to be already present, prepare to be disappointed.

Given the number of EV 2 wheelers, most societies have become familiar with EVs. Here are some solutions I am seeing:

1. Letting folks draw a line from their house meter to the parking. This is what I have done. MG/Tata also assist with the same when you buy a car. It's upto you whether you want to increase your load. May not make sense in a rented place. I am just using the 15A socket.

2. Where it is not feasible, some Apartments let you pull a line from the common power line and install a sub meter. Every month you will have to pay the association at a fixed price per unit of power.

3. Common charging point for the entire community. This is painful for a number of reasons: Slots getting blocked by ICE, other EVs charging, how to bill, GST etc.


Spend time talking to the association and fellow EV owners. It's a one time setup that will dramatically boost your EV ownership journey.